In recent years, demand for chemical analysis and laboratory testing has increased. Two areas in which there have been substantial increases include disease related testing (AIDS testing and research) and drug testing for various employees. These demands have created the need for an efficient, economical, simple and disposable container for transporting laboratory equipment and improving the efficiency and ease with which laboratory operations can be carried out. Often these laboratory operations are carried out with mass samples arrayed in test blocks. Usually the individual samples are contained in separate pipettes, each of which undergoes certain common procedures.
It is known in the prior art to use paperboard cartons in various forms to package and ship laboratory equipment. With specific regard to pipettes, test tubes or pipette tubes or tips, a number of cartons have been used wherein a paperboard tray having an array of holes is received in an outer packaging carton.
Although commercially available cartons and methods for packaging pipettes or pipette tips have improved, there are some problems which have remained unaddressed. One such problem is providing a package or packaging method which reduces and minimizes damage to pipette tips during shipment. Another problem is that it is difficult to maintain the pipettes or pipette tips in clean or sterile condition during shipment and, after arrival, during use. Handling of the pipette tips after their arrival at the point of use should be minimized; it is highly inefficient when a single pipette tip must be removed from the package in which it arrived and placed in a laboratory pipette tip rack. In addition each incident of handling increases the chance of contamination in sensitive procedures. With current packaging methods, stability, efficiency and safety are not enhanced to an optimum degree. Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, safe, efficient, disposable paperboard package for pipette tips.